Suggestions for Mean Green Shoppers

FirefightnRick · February 8, 2006

Suggestion at the bottom.

I went into our new Hibbets Sports store here in Weatherford yesterday and as usual it was an orange-out throughout the store including many many hats. Very little of anything else, especially TCU, who dollar for dollar, pound for pound had a much better season than most. And zero NT gear. The place was empty and the mgr asked me if he could help? I asked if he had anything for North Texas and he immediately stated: "No, we don't currently have anything for North Texas, the licensing is just too difficult for us to get ahold of any of their stuff".

I said, "so............, you don't handle anything licensed by Collegiate Licensing Company?" He said "No". As he's saying that, I'm picking up a Longhorn hat and turning it over to show him CLC's hologram. He then got that confused look on his face. I politely told him there shouldn't be any problem getting NT's stuff, that NT is currently in it's 11th year contract with CLC out of Atlanta and currently has a complete new line of licensed product designs which will have been on their data sheets a year this coming April. I then asked him if he could get me their licensing rep's number so I could call and ask a few questions, and he did.

As I was walking out I noticed half a wall near the door that was dedicated fully to youth Lacrosse gear: Helmets, Shoulderpads, Balls, Pads, Jersey's, Sticks and a progessional Lacrosse Magezine. I asked the guy, "Hey, is Weatherford High School now playing Lacrosse? He came over and said, no, not that I heard of. I asked: "Is there a Weatherfod Lacrosse Youth program now available?". He said "No, not that I heard of". I asked, "Is there a Lacrosse program anywhere in Texas?". Again, he got that confused look on his face and said, "No, not that I know of, but our buyer said he had heard of some clubs playing in Fort Worth(30 Miles to the east) so I suppose that's why we are carrying this stuff?". I walked out thinking they damn sure would sell more TCU and NT stuff before they sell a youth Lacrosse helmet. In Weatherford in fact, they would have a better shot at selling a horse bridle and bit before they sell one of those magezines, but that's just my oppinion.

So I call Hibbits Sports. They are out of Birmingham Alabama and I get ahold of the guy and asked him what kind of problems they are having getting North Texas gear. He laughed and said that's not the case at all, that they just have not recieved any interest for that store yet. That the demand right now in this region is for UT stuff(As if I coudn't tell). He said they have recently opened a store in/near Denton on I-35E and that they should have NT gear. I told him that's fine, but that's over an hour drive for me. I also told him stores in Fort Worth do not seem to have a problem selling NT merchandise and that I suggest he contact the buyer for the Weatherfod store and ask if they could send them some gear as well, as the store seemed to have plenty of shelf space for it. He said he would. He said he's a graduate of Troy and is fully aware of the concerns for the smaller programs and is quite aware of the Mean Green and saw this years past game in Denton. He invited me to come to Troy next season and reiterated that he would ask the regional buyer about North Texas gear in their stores.

I spoke to the NT athletic department about this as well yesterday afternoon. It's their job to contact these folks in around the metroplex and as we can tell, the stuff is showing up more and more, but they haven't been able to get ahold of everyone. They are also not currently showing Hibbets Sports as a dealer for North Texas gear, although I imagine the one near Denton is probably handling our gear now. If they are not, they need to be of course.

Let me reiterate: STORES, RETAIL STORES, SPORTS STORES AND ALL RETAIL SUPPLIERS IN BETWEEN......DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO ORDER AND SELL NORTH TEXAS MERCHANDISE. It's only if the person is manufacturing the product for them to have to be licensed by CLC. Only if they are manufacturing the products! Any thing else told to you when/if you ask for these progucts is only a convenient excuse by someone who does not know what they are talking about, and as my dear friend HUFF alway say's........"AND THAT'S OK". Take the chane to educate them while helping our cause in getting these products out.

The AD dept's suggestion is that the above situation is the very best thing we as the Mean Green Nation can do to help, and that is to ASK FOR NORTH TEXAS MERCHANDISE WHEN SHOPPING IN STORES. Most people simply walk in, don't see anything for North Texas, and then walk out. Don't do that. Be polite, and ask for it as if you expect them to walk you over to it because you simply did not see it. If they don't have it, ask when it's coming as if you expected them to have ordered it and it just has not come in yet. Everytime you walk by the store, ask again, and again. If the store has any interest in it's customers, their management and buyers will get the word.

Rick

Edited February 8, 2006 by FirefightnRick

NT91 · February 8, 2006

thanks FFR!!

gksmith · February 8, 2006

Any ideas on where to get a UNT football jersey (authentic or otherwise)?

FirefightnRick · February 8, 2006

Any ideas on where to get a UNT football jersey (authentic or otherwise)?
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I have a white XL #20 "Thomas" 2005 game jersey that also has the 30th Anniversery Sun Belt Conference logo on it that I am willing to part with for $125. Also, I plan on heading up the annual GMG.com game jersey order again this spring as long as our rep is still willing.

Rick

Edited February 8, 2006 by FirefightnRick

drex · February 8, 2006

Great post, Rick. Let me add a couple of things. The CLC rep who handles NT has an obligation to try to 'push' all the schools that he or she represents....they are not doing a good job of that. Secondly, the athletic department has an obligation to have a good rapport with their CLC rep....who knows if that is happening. I would periodically call the CLC rep and just shoot the bull, etc. to stay in touch and for NT to stay in his thinking. Human nature is such is that if you have a good rapport with a person you are more likely to help them. Suggestion...why not have the' North Texan'do an article on licensed products and asking all Exes to ask their local retailers to carry our stuff? the 'North Texan 'people might just do it since they want to strut around and show off what they did for a mere $200,000.

Wookies · February 8, 2006

Suggestion at the bottom.
They are also not currently showing Hibbets Sports as a dealer for North Texas gear, although I imagine the one near Denton is probably handling our gear now. If they are not, they need to be of course.
There is a Hibbets location in the Golden Triangle Mall in Denton. I was in there last weekend and saw zero NT gear. There is a hat store (forget the name) in the mall with quite a few NT hats and Sports Authority in Denton carries some NT gear amongst the piles of UT/TAMU stuff.

untgirl04 · February 8, 2006

The hat store is Lids (also Hat World). The Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville also has the new hats. Our brand is starting to get around, but it's a slow process.

Marty · February 9, 2006

Hibbett's is opening a store in Gainesville, hopefully they'll carry NT gear.

FirefightnRick · February 9, 2006

Wookies, when was the last time you went by Hibbets in the Golden Triangle Mall? Never mind, I see you said last weekend. Thanks for the info.
Rick

Edited February 9, 2006 by FirefightnRick

NT91 · February 10, 2006

I was told that the jersey or the helmet color will not change for 06. Is this true?

A member of my mini helmet club was told this from R.V.

NT80 · February 10, 2006

I was told that the jersey or the helmet color will not change for 06. Is this true?
A member of my mini helmet club was told this from R.V.
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From the Feb. 08 NT Daily article on the new color and logo branding:

"......Right now it’s just the most visible places,” Wolper said. “When anybody does a NT news story, for instance on the television stations, we encourage them to use the new word mark [instead of the old circle and star].”

Next semester, the Mean Green football team will have uniforms in the new color and eventually the signs posted in front of campus buildings will be updated as well. At the Board of Regents meeting this Thursday, the advancement committee might discuss the new timeline for the transition...."

Edited February 10, 2006 by NT80